Chapter 4: The Person Behind The Fake Test
The first night after Daniel left, I didn't sleep.
I sat on the edge of our bed with one hand resting on my stomach, staring at the empty space beside me.
For five years, that space had belonged to him.
His side of the closet.
His coffee cup on the kitchen counter.
His jacket hanging by the door.
Small things.
Things I never noticed until they were suddenly reminders that everything had changed.
The worst part wasn't that Daniel was gone.
The worst part was wondering whether he would ever look at me the same way again.
Because even though I knew I was innocent, a question kept hurting me.
How could the man who promised to protect me be the same man who hurt me?
I touched my cheek.
The faint mark was still there.
A painful reminder.
Not just of what Daniel did.
But of how quickly love could turn into something frightening.
Around three in the morning, my phone lit up.
I grabbed it immediately.
For one second, I thought it was Daniel.
It wasn't.
It was a message from an unknown number.
*You should stop digging before you lose more than your marriage.*
My entire body went cold.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
*The DNA test was never about proving the baby wasn't his.*
A second later:
*It was about making sure he would never protect you.*
I sat up straight.
My hand moved instinctively toward my stomach.
"Who are you?"" I typed.
The message showed as read.
No answer came.
I waited.
One minute.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Nothing.
But I knew one thing.
Evelyn wasn't acting alone.
The next morning, I called the clinic where the DNA test had supposedly been processed.
I needed facts.
Not guesses.
Not fear.
Facts.
The receptionist answered after several rings.
"Good morning, Westbrook Family Genetics.""
"Hi, my name is Claire Morgan. I need information about a DNA test that was recently submitted.""
"Do you have the case number?""
I looked at the report.
I read it carefully.
Then I froze.
The case number was familiar.
Too familiar.
Because it wasn't the number from the test Evelyn had shown Daniel.
It was from the second envelope.
The one that revealed Daniel wasn't biologically related to Evelyn.
My fingers tightened around the paper.
"Hello?"" the receptionist asked.
"Yes. I'm here.""
"Can you provide the number?""
I did.
There was a pause.
A long one.
Then the receptionist's voice changed.
"Ma'am, are you related to the people involved?""
"Yes.""
Another pause.
"I need you to come into the office.""
"Why?""
"Because there appears to be an issue with the submitted samples.""
My heart started racing.
"What kind of issue?""
The receptionist lowered her voice.
"The person who submitted the samples requested a name correction after the test was completed.""
I frowned.
"A name correction?""
"Yes.""
"Who requested it?""
The woman hesitated.
Then she said:
"Evelyn Parker.""
My stomach tightened.
Of course.
Evelyn.
"Can you tell me what was changed?""
"I'm sorry, ma'am. We can only discuss details with authorized parties.""
"Please.""
I swallowed.
"My husband was about to divorce me because of this test.""
The receptionist became quiet.
Then she said:
"Come in today. Bring identification.""
After hanging up, I sat there for several minutes.
My mind was racing.
Evelyn had changed the names.
But why?
What was she trying to accomplish?
And who was helping her?
I didn't have to wait long to find out.
Because an hour later, someone knocked on my door.
I wasn't expecting anyone.
I slowly approached.
"Who is it?""
A man's voice answered.
"Claire Morgan?""
I froze.
I didn't recognize it.
"Who are you?""
"My name is Victor Hale.""
I didn't open the door.
"What do you want?""
A pause.
Then:
"I'm the person who approved Evelyn's DNA request.""
My hand tightened around the doorknob.
"Why?""
"Because she told me you were trying to hide something.""
My blood ran cold.
"What?""
"She said Daniel needed proof.""
I opened the door slightly.
A man in his fifties stood outside.
Gray hair.
Expensive coat.
A serious expression.
"Who are you?""
"I'm a private investigator.""
The words made my stomach drop.
"You investigated me?""
He looked uncomfortable.
"I was hired two weeks ago.""
"By Evelyn.""
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
"Why would she hire someone to investigate me?""
Victor looked away.
"Because she believed you were having an affair.""
I almost couldn't speak.
"She believed that?""
"She told me she had evidence.""
"What evidence?""
He reached into his briefcase.
Then stopped.
"I shouldn't be here.""
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
He looked back toward the street.
"Because after what happened last night, I realized she lied to me too.""
A chill moved through me.
"What did she tell you?""
Victor hesitated.
Then he pulled out a folder.
"She hired me to find proof that the baby wasn't Daniel's.""
My heart sank.
"Did you find any?""
"No.""
His answer was immediate.
"No.""
I stared at him.
"Then why did she create the DNA report?""
Victor looked at the folder in his hands.
"Because she already had a plan.""
"What plan?""
He slowly opened the folder.
Inside were photographs.
My photographs.
My daily routine.
The coffee shop I visited.
The grocery store.
My doctor's appointments.
I felt sick.
"How long was she watching me?""
"Three weeks.""
"Three weeks?""
Victor nodded.
"She wanted Daniel to believe you had someone else.""
I looked at the photos.
My hands started shaking.
"Why?""
Victor looked at me.
"Because she didn't want Daniel staying with you.""
"Why?""
He took a deep breath.
"Because Evelyn believed if you and Daniel had a child together, she would lose control.""
That sentence hit me harder than I expected.
Control.
That was what this had always been about.
Not love.
Not family.
Control.
"What did she tell you to do?""
Victor looked uncomfortable.
"She asked me to create a report.""
My eyes narrowed.
"A fake report?""
He nodded.
"I refused.""
"Then how did she get one?""
Victor looked down.
"Because someone else didn't refuse.""
The room went quiet.
"Who?""
Victor didn't answer immediately.
Then he pulled out another document.
"This.""
I took it.
It was an email printout.
At the top was a sender name.
A name I didn't recognize.
But the message underneath made my heart stop.
*The report must be delivered before the seventh month. After that, the baby becomes too difficult to separate from Daniel emotionally.*
I felt dizzy.
"Separate?""
Victor nodded.
"That was the word they used.""
I looked up.
"Who wrote this?""
Victor pointed at the bottom.
My eyes followed.
And I froze.
Because the signature belonged to someone I had never expected.
Someone connected to Daniel.
Someone who had been at our wedding.
Someone who had hugged me and called me family.
The name at the bottom was:
*Rebecca Parker.*
Daniel's older sister.
My hand covered my mouth.
Rebecca.
The woman who had cried when she found out I was pregnant.
The woman who had told me she couldn't wait to be an aunt.
The woman who had defended Evelyn every single time we argued.
Victor watched my reaction.
"You didn't know.""
I shook my head slowly.
"No.""
My phone suddenly rang.
I looked down.
Daniel's name appeared on the screen.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
Then I answered.
"Daniel?""
His voice sounded exhausted.
"Claire.""
I closed my eyes.
"I'm sorry.""
I didn't respond.
"I found something.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"What?""
A long silence followed.
Then Daniel said:
"I checked the original hospital records.""
My heart started pounding.
"And?""
His voice dropped.
"Claire... my birth certificate was changed.""
I stood frozen.
"What?""
"There was another name.""
"Whose?""
Daniel took a shaky breath.
Then he whispered:
"My biological mother.""
I waited.
"Who is it?""
Another pause.
Then Daniel said something that made my entire body go cold.
"Claire...""
"It's your mother.""
The call went silent.
And in that moment, I realized the truth was much bigger than Evelyn hiding a secret.
Because someone had spent twenty-seven years rewriting Daniel's entire identity.
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And now the person who held the original truth...
Was someone I thought was already gone.
